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The curved white beach of Wineglass Bay framed by mountains in Freycinet National Park

Tasmania · Self-drive

Tasmania's Wilderness & Culinary Trail

Nine days at the wheel from Hobart to Wineglass Bay and Cradle Mountain – with oysters, cheese and cool-climate wine at every turn.

  • 9 Days / 8 Nights
  • From $2,500 USD
  • Car rental included
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Sandy beach and low headland at South Arm, south of Hobart, Tasmania
Full plan & description

Overview

A 9-day deep dive into the pristine wilderness and gourmet scene of Tasmania. From the artistic hub of Hobart and the confronting MONA museum, travel to the east coast to see the perfect curve of Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park. The journey culminates at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Cradle Mountain, where you'll hike among ancient forests and rugged peaks. Along the way, savour fresh local produce, artisanal cheeses, and cool-climate wines.

Tasmania is compact enough to cross in a morning yet holds 19 national parks and roughly 40% of its land in reserves. This trip loops from south to north-west in close to 1,000 km of driving, never more than three hours in a single day. You sleep three nights in Hobart, two on the Freycinet Peninsula, one in Launceston and two at Cradle Mountain, with breakfast every morning.

Sunbeams breaking through morning mist over a forest road near Moina, Tasmania
Your car, your pace

The self-drive experience

Self-driving suits Tasmania perfectly: the best cheese counters, oyster shacks and lookouts are tucked down side roads that coaches never reach. We pre-book every bed and hand you a suggested itinerary with restaurant and cellar door recommendations, then you decide how long to linger.

  • Daily drives of under three hours
  • Fill up before Cradle Mountain – fuel stops thin out in the highlands
  • Avoid driving at dawn and dusk when wildlife is on the move
  • Download offline maps; signal is patchy on the east coast and in the parks
Day by day

Daily itinerary suggestion

Beds are fixed; everything else is yours to tweak.

Collect your hire car at Hobart Airport and drive 20 minutes into the city. Check in, then explore on foot: the sandstone warehouses of Salamanca Place, the cottages of Battery Point and the fishing boats of Constitution Dock, where floating fish punts sell fish and chips straight off the water.

  • Meals: None (arrival day)
  • Overnight: Hobart, 4-star waterfront hotel
  • Drive: Airport to city ~17 km

Leave the car behind and take the MONA ferry from Brooke Street Pier (about 25 minutes up the Derwent) to the Museum of Old and New Art. Your entry is included; allow at least three hours for its underground galleries. Back in town, drive 22 km (30 minutes) to the 1,271-metre summit of kunanyi / Mount Wellington for a sweeping view of the city and the coast south towards South Arm. Pack a jacket – it can snow up there in any month.

  • Meals: Breakfast
  • Overnight: Hobart, 4-star waterfront hotel
  • Drive: ~45 km in total

Drive 35 km south to Kettering for the 20-minute car ferry to Bruny Island (ferry fare payable locally). Taste aged cheeses at the island’s cheese company, slurp oysters minutes from the lease, pick up berries and fudge, and climb the steps at The Neck for a view of the narrow isthmus joining North and South Bruny. Return to Hobart for dinner.

  • Meals: Breakfast
  • Overnight: Hobart, 4-star waterfront hotel
  • Drive: ~150 km return + ferry

Stop first in Richmond to cross the 1823 Richmond Bridge, the oldest stone span bridge still in use in Australia, and taste Pinot Noir in the Coal River Valley. Follow the Tasman Highway up the coast via Swansea and a berry farm café to Coles Bay, the gateway to Freycinet National Park. Drive time is about 2.5–3 hours (roughly 200 km).

  • Meals: Breakfast
  • Overnight: Freycinet, coastal lodge
  • Drive: ~200 km, 2.5–3 hours

Start early to beat the crowds on the Wineglass Bay Lookout walk (about 1–1.5 hours return), or continue down to the beach itself (2.5–3 hours return, with around 1,000 steps). Reward yourself with Pacific oysters at the marine farm near Coles Bay, then watch the granite peaks of The Hazards glow pink at sunset.

  • Meals: Breakfast
  • Overnight: Freycinet, coastal lodge
  • Drive: Local, under 30 km

Drive inland to Launceston (about 175 km, 2.5 hours). Walk from the city centre into Cataract Gorge in 15 minutes and cross the gorge on the suspension bridge. In the afternoon, follow the Tamar Valley Wine Route for crisp Riesling and Tasmanian sparkling wine – some of the most awarded in Australia.

  • Meals: Breakfast
  • Overnight: Launceston, boutique hotel
  • Drive: ~175 km, 2.5 hours

Head west via Deloraine to Elizabeth Town, where a cheese maker and a raspberry farm café sit almost side by side, then through the mural town of Sheffield. The last stretch climbs through misty forest near Moina into Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Total drive: about 145 km (2 hours plus stops).

  • Meals: Breakfast
  • Overnight: Cradle Mountain, wilderness lodge
  • Drive: ~145 km, 2 hours

Park at the visitor centre and ride the national park shuttle bus to Dove Lake; private cars are generally not allowed on this road while the shuttle runs. Walk the Dove Lake Circuit (6 km, 2–3 hours) past the photogenic 1940 boatshed and through the Ballroom Forest of myrtle beech. At dusk, look for wombats and pademelons near the lodge – and drive slowly.

  • Meals: Breakfast
  • Overnight: Cradle Mountain, wilderness lodge
  • Drive: Shuttle + 6 km walk

Enjoy a slow breakfast with mountain views, then drive about 160 km (2 hours 15 minutes) to Launceston Airport, where you return the car (one-way fee included). Allow time for a final cellar-door stop if your flight is in the afternoon.

  • Meals: Breakfast
  • Overnight: —
  • Drive: ~160 km, 2 hours 15 minutes
Eat & drink

Culinary hotspots

Six stops our team returns to again and again.

Hobart markets

Salamanca Market fills the waterfront every Saturday; the Farm Gate Market on Sunday mornings is where chefs buy their produce.

Bruny Island

Raw-milk and washed-rind cheeses, freshly shucked oysters, berries and island-brewed beer within a few kilometres of each other.

Coal River Valley

Twenty minutes from Hobart, a cluster of cellar doors known for elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, many with long-lunch restaurants.

Freycinet seafood

Pacific oysters, mussels and scallops sold straight from the farm near Coles Bay – eat them on the deck with a glass of local white.

Tamar Valley

The cool north is the home of Tasmanian sparkling wine. The Tamar Valley Wine Route links over 30 cellar doors either side of the river.

North-west produce trail

Farmhouse cheddar, raspberry pancakes and handmade chocolate around Elizabeth Town and Latrobe on the road to Cradle Mountain.

Photo diary

Snapshots from the road

Tap a photo to see it full size.

Wooden boatshed on the shore of Dove Lake in Cradle Mountain National Park Wooden board with cheese, sliced cured meats, sausage and pickles next to a glass of beer
Choose your wheels

Vehicle options

A compact car is included. Upgrade for more space or comfort on mountain roads.

CategorySimilar toSeats / large bagsBest forUpgrade per day
CompactToyota Corolla or similar5 / 2Couples travelling lightIncluded
Mid-size SUVToyota RAV4 or similar5 / 3Extra luggage, higher driving position+$35 USD
Premium SUVToyota Prado or similar5 / 4Families, maximum comfort+$85 USD

All rentals include unlimited kilometres and basic insurance. Excess reduction can be added at the counter. Automatic transmission is standard.

Clear pricing

Price & booking

From $2,500 USD per person

Twin share, based on self-drive, June–August.

Book now
SeasonTwin shareSolo traveller supplement
Winter (Jun–Aug)$2,500$1,150
Shoulder (Mar–May, Sep–Nov)$2,750$1,240
Summer (Dec–Feb)$3,050$1,380

Included

  • 8 nights in unique lodges and 4-star hotels
  • Car rental for the duration of the trip
  • Daily breakfast
  • Entry to MONA, Freycinet and Cradle Mountain National Parks
  • Suggested itinerary with restaurant and cellar door recommendations

Not included

  • International and domestic flights to Hobart / from Launceston
  • Travel insurance
  • Fuel, parking, Bruny Island ferry
  • Lunches, dinners and wine purchases
  • Vehicle upgrades and insurance excess reduction
Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Generally yes, if your licence is current and in English; otherwise carry an International Driving Permit or an official translation. Rental companies have their own rules, so we confirm the requirements for your country when you book.

The left. Tasmanian roads are good but often narrow and winding, so plan for lower average speeds than the distances suggest.

December to March offers long days and the warmest weather. Autumn (April–May) brings golden deciduous beech near Cradle Mountain, and winter is quiet, crisp and the best value.

We recommend avoiding driving at dawn, dusk and after dark. Wildlife such as wallabies, pademelons and wombats are very active then and roadside collisions are common.

The Bruny Island ferry, fuel, lunches and dinners are paid locally. The included itinerary lists our recommended restaurants and cellar doors so you can plan your budget.

Driving licence: bring your full licence – with an International Driving Permit if it is not in English – and check your rental conditions before you travel.

Pick up the keys to Tasmania

Choose your month and vehicle, and we will lock in the lodges, the car and your MONA entry.

Start your booking